The ceremony will be held at the auditorium of the Sabah Trade Centre, where the company's office is located. It will be followed by a seminar on biodiesel technologies.

The Chief Minister is expected to deliver a keynote address at the opening ceremony.

POIC Sabah Sdn Bhd is a company wholly owned by the State Government of Sabah. It's main project is the development of the palm oil industrial cluster in Lahad Datu for the setting up of palm oil-related downstream processing industries.

The cluster, launched last year, has received overwhelming responses from investors in Malaysia and abroad. Seven companies, five of them in biodiesel, are finalizing the sales and purchase agreement with POIC Sabah Sdn Bhd in anticipation of an official signing ceremony later this month.

Meanwhile, five speakers will present papers at the Seminar on Biodiesel Technologies. The speakers include one each from biodiesel technology providers De Smet from Italy, and Crown Iron Works Technology of United States. Consulting firm Frost & Sullivan will present a paper on Global Biodiesel Market Outlook. Two other papers are respectively on "The Challenges & Opportunities of Nutrient Extraction from Crude Palm Oil" and "Nanoscience & Catalysis: A Revolutionary Biodiesel Production Technology".

Potential investors will have opportunities to inquire with the seminar speakers for further information during the business-matching session at the end of the seminar. They are advised to confirm their intention with POIC Sabah Sdn Bhd officials by calling 088-272261.